‘Have you changed the locks?’

‘Not yet. It’s on the to-do list,’ she said and maybe it should be, because the last thing she wanted was Eddie dropping in when he felt like it.

‘I can do that for you, if you want,’ he said sipping his beer.

‘I’m sure you have enough to be doing as it is.’

‘The real fire is great; it really makes the place feel like home again.’ He pointed his fork towards it. It was burning away gently in the grate. She’d picked up another fire log and a bag of kindling in the corner shop. ‘It’s nice to see it lit again.’ He was smiling, probably thinking back to the day when he had cleaned the chimney after Rachel begged him when they’d first moved in.

‘Yes, I had almost forgotten it was there, to be honest.’ Which, she knew, was probably the story of her whole relationship with Eddie; somehow, she’d lost sight of all the lovely things she had in her life. The fireplace was only the beginning of it.

‘You’re probably going to have to hang a stocking from the mantelpiece next Christmas.’ He was making fun of her.

‘Not likely. I intend to be home in Ballycove next Christmas, with a little luck,’ she said because she’d missed her family this year. Actually, sitting here with Pete was probably the first time she wasn’t lonely since Christmas Eve.

‘It was a fairly crap Christmas for both of us. Don’t worry, odds on next year being a thousand times better,’ he said and she caught that underlying, quiet optimism that had always marked him out. It had buoyed her through her darkest days and she was glad to have him here with her tonight.

‘I’m glad you came over, Pete,’ she said.

‘That’s me, always at your service.’ He was joking, but he reached out and touched her hand, held it for a moment. ‘You know, he was never good enough for you.’

‘Ah, stop it,’ Liv said, because she knew he was only trying to make her feel better.

‘I’m serious – everyone thought it. It was different with me and Anya. People looked at us and I knew they thought I was punching far above my weight. She was so beautiful, while I’m still…’

‘I never thought that,’ Liv said, although, honestly, when she looked at him sometimes she still saw that geeky kid from school. He’d been all teeth, arms, legs and glasses.

‘Maybe not, but other people. I know, they thought Anya was only going out with me for my money and…’ He looked away from her now. She had a feeling that the break-up might hit him harder than he expected after all. ‘But I really thought, in the beginning…’